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Musee de Cluny

The middle-ages museum

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Why you will love it?

Housed in two outstanding monuments, the 15th century Hôtel de Cluny and the ruins of the early 2nd century Roman Thermal Baths, the Musée de Cluny is exclusively dedicated to the Middle-Ages. Not only are the sculptures, tapestries and objects on display fascinating, but the impressive venue makes it a very interesting museum to discover.

Our Insiders' Article

Musee de Cluny

The Musee de Cluny is comprised of the Hôtel de Cluny (one of the last Parisian medieval palaces built in the 15th century) and what remains of the 2nd century Roman thermal baths. The museum is dedicated to the Middle Ages. Everything from medieval sculptures, tombstones, paintings, tapestries, goldsmith works to hunting and warfare objects are exposed. A visit to the Musee de Cluny will also give you the chance to discover the impressive ruins of the Roman thermal baths.

Making the Most of it

The Musee de Cluny is not a mainstream museum, so you don’t need to worry about waiting in line. Anyone, even those that have the slightest interest in the medieval periods, will be fascinated by the collection of the museum. That said, the museum is not designed for young children though. They might get bored pretty quickly, so we recommend it for adults.

Highlights

The masterpiece of the Musee de Cluny is the series of 6 tapestries called The Lady and the Unicorn and created at the end of the 15th century. Although specialists agree that the first 5 tapestries represent the 5 senses, the 6th tapestry remains a mystery to this day.

The magnificent vaulted space in the basement floor of the Musee de Cluny is what remains of the Frigidarium, the cold room of the Roman thermal baths. Here, you will find the Pillar of the Nauti, dated 14 to 37 AD and therefore the oldest known fragment of monument in Paris.

Curiosities

The museum’s collection comprises almost 24,000 objects but not all of them are exposed in the Museum. Here are some of the curiosities exposed:

The Notre Dame Room featuring the heads of the 21 statues of the Kings of Juda on the façade of Notre Dame Cathedral. These statues were beheaded during the French Revolution (1789), buried and rediscovered in 1977!

The Chapel Room and its collection of Flamboyant Gothic art, which miraculously survived throughout the centuries.

History

The story of the Musee de Cluny is one of a passionate private collector of Medieval objects and art: Alexandre Du Sommerard (1779-1842). His modest fortune enabled him to gather many precious objects from the Middle-Ages. In 1833, he moved to the Hôtel de Cluny (“Cluny Mansion”), along with his vast collection. At his death, the city of Paris purchased his collection and turned the mansion into a museum.

Conclusion

If you are not a bit interested in the Medieval period, visiting the Musee de Cluny would be a waste of time. But you are missing out on something. Tapestries might not be your thing, but the simple fact of standing in the almost 2000 year old Roman baths is something you won’t live every day. It is truly impressive. Make sure you go for a quick visit when you are in the Latin Quarter! You won’t regret it.